West Coker & East Coker surnames

[MJHNZ]

"Baker family sought"
Thank you Mark.
I am still hoping that someone may find the correct parents for my Charles Baker who was born 1815. He married Martha Goater in St. Mary Redcliffe, Bristol, Somerset. Charles was a journeyman carpenter so may have travelled around a bit. The 1851 England Census shows him, Martha and their children living at 17 Castle Lane, Westminster, London.                                                                                                 Re Longburton ... I have not come across that area in connection to Charles Baker or to my ancestor Sarah Goater nee Higgins (mother of Martha Goater).
Kind regards from Marion J Hansen, NZ.

[DAC]

Curious about East / West Coker

Specifically, I’m an American living in London, a Coker descended from the Princeton, New Jersey Coker’s.   We're also related to the Knoxville, Tennessee Cokers.

Sadly, never captured enough details about our family’s origin while my Grandparents / Great Grandparents were alive but I do know two (three?) brothers emigrated to The US from Whitechapel, London in the early 1800s. According to family lore their parents hailed from Somerset,  and naturally I’m wondering if this could mean East / West / North Coker.

Does anyone know if there is a library out there, one that might contain local information?  Perhaps this would be held by church?

I’m planning a trip over the next few weeks just to see the area and thrill my Stateside family with pix of the name on signs / buildings / etc.

Any information is welcome.

Take care

[Raisey19]

Eunice (Unity) Baker (1792-1867) and her father Matthew Baker are my ancestors.  Unity is my 3 x great grandmother who married Willliam Wilkins and their son James emigrated to Australia 1857.  I am also looking for the family of Elizabeth Baker b. 1783 and married George Morris.

[Liz in France]

Hi Majge,

I have a George Hollard marrying a Nancy /Ann Rendel in 1764 in West Coker but I am not sure at all whether it is a George from my family.  I can find nothing else on this couple, so wonder if you have any info on Ann who I think was born about 1751 but that is very vague.

Incidentally, my father was born in West Coker in 1910 when  his father was the village policeman.  If  you  have any information on that I would be be delighted to have it.  I have my father's baptism entry from West Coker but nothing else from there.

Elizabeth

[lagrenouilleverte]

May not be any help but someone may find this interesting.  I worked with a guy in Canberra, Australia who's name was Coker-Godson.  He said that his ancestors came from Coker and that they owned a lot of land in the area and also in Mauritius.  The land in Mauritius was apparently reclaimed by the French government as, under some old rule of law, if the owners hadn't visited it in x-number of years, title reverted to them.  He was in the Australian Royal Navy and was posted to Yeoviton and had planned on visiting the only living relative he knew of but, sadly, she died before he got o England.  There followed the usual debacle about inheritance, not that expected any, he didn't know the lady at all, but i seems that all her wealth had 'disappeared' in her last years.

[mark foot]

Just a thought that may help. There is a villager called 'Smudger' Smith who lives in the Old Workhouse, East Coker. He is very interested in the history of the village and has information going way back. I haven't got his telephone number but I'm sure he would be helpful if you send him a letter.

My father David Foot  was brought up in East Coker and if you  wish you could mention David's son Mark suggested he might be able to help.

Mark

p.s. 2 books on East Coker that would be worth reading that shows village life and may mention names of your interest.
East Coker by Abigail Sheppard
Footsteps from East Coker by David Foot

There is also a book about West Coker but I have forgotten it's name an authors.

[lagrenouilleverte]

Actually, Mark, I'm not that interested in the subject but, as I said, I thought someone else might find it interesting.